shrivel
verb /ˈʃrɪvl/
/ˈʃrɪvl/
[intransitive, transitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they shrivel | /ˈʃrɪvl/ /ˈʃrɪvl/ |
| he / she / it shrivels | /ˈʃrɪvlz/ /ˈʃrɪvlz/ |
| past simple shrivelled | /ˈʃrɪvld/ /ˈʃrɪvld/ |
| past participle shrivelled | /ˈʃrɪvld/ /ˈʃrɪvld/ |
| (US English) past simple shriveled | /ˈʃrɪvld/ /ˈʃrɪvld/ |
| (US English) past participle shriveled | /ˈʃrɪvld/ /ˈʃrɪvld/ |
| -ing form shrivelling | /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/ /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/ |
| (US English) -ing form shriveling | /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/ /ˈʃrɪvlɪŋ/ |
- to become or make something dry and wrinkled as a result of heat, cold or being old
- shrivel (up) The leaves on the plant had shrivelled up from lack of water.
- shrivel something (up) The hot weather had shrivelled the grapes in every vineyard.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare with Swedish dialect skryvla ‘to wrinkle’.